Reconsidering Common Conceptions Around Sexual Violence in Conflict Contexts: Evidence from the North West of Nigeria, the Lake Chad Basin and Colombia

This latest brief from UNIDIR’s Managing Exits from Armed Conflict Project examines original evidence on sexual violence in conflict-affected contexts where the project runs studies. The brief assesses some commonly held assumptions around conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), such as the typology of perpetrators and impacts on men and boys, to test whether these assumptions hold in several of the project’s case study contexts, including the North West of Nigeria, the Lake Chad Basin and Colombia.

The findings highlight a need for more contextualized and survivor-informed responses. Ultimately, this brief aims to bring additional nuance to some of the discussions around CRSV in order to inform more effective, evidence-based prevention and response efforts.

Citation: Anamika Madhuraj, Francesca Batault and Sofia Rivas, “Reconsidering Common Conceptions Around Sexual Violence in Conflict Contexts: Evidence from the North West of Nigeria, the Lake Chad Basin and Colombia”, UNIDIR, Geneva, 2025